Coating compositions for indoor and outdoor applications should provide excellent product performance with low toxicity and good environmental compatibility. UV-curable coating compositions have been widely used to decorate and protect the surface of wood products. However, such coating compositions can contain small amounts of formaldehyde caused by degradation of their organic components, and the coating thus formed can potentially release formaldehyde into the environment. Therefore, it is desirable to minimize the formaldehyde content of wood coating compositions.
Small molecules and polymers having an active methylene group can react with the free formaldehyde in a coating composition and scavenge formaldehyde. However, these compounds are not particularly well suited for use in coating compositions, especially UV curable coating compositions. Thus, there is still a need for formaldehyde-scavenging components that are suitable for use in UV-curable coating compositions.